About OKC
Born at the sound of a gunshot, Oklahoma City was settled by a historic land run involving 10,000 homesteaders on April 22, 1889. Located equidistant from both coasts, Oklahoma City has long been hailed as Mid-America’s International Connection. The convergence of I-35, I-40 and I-44 as well as the development of Tinker Air Force Base made Oklahoma City into a major interchange on the interstate highway system – with 130-plus miles of federal interstate and state highways. With the central location of the nation’s major highway arteries, Oklahoma City became a principal distribution center within the state and the southwest region. Efficient transportation has been the cornerstone in the overall planning of Oklahoma City. As a result, getting to any part of the city (622.5 square miles!) takes about 20 minutes or less.
Oklahoma City is the largest city in the State of Oklahoma.
Oklahoma City’s 42nd metropolitan area has 1,420,798 residents.
Oklahoma City proper has a population of 643,648 residents.
In land area, Oklahoma City is one of the largest in the nation with a total of 620 square miles.
Our 10-county area enrolls more than 293,700 students in the public school system.
The Greater Oklahoma City area includes 10 counties.
Oklahoma City was settled by a historic land run involving 10,000 homesteaders on April 22, 1889.
Tinker Air Force Base is the second largest military air depot in the nation.
In addition to being the Aviation Capital, Oklahoma City is also the Energy Capital with industry leaders such as Devon Energy, Chesapeake Energy and Continental Resources.
Oklahoma City’s diverse economy is reflected in the variety among its top employers, which include the State of Oklahoma, Tinker Air Force Base, University of Oklahoma and INTEGRIS Health. Other big-name leading private employers with headquarters in OKC, like Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores, Paycom, Hobby Lobby, OGE, Sonic, American Fidelity and others deliver business, personal and utility services to a wide range of markets, in addition to well-known names like Boeing, AT&T, Dell, Hertz, UPS and others that maintain a large presence in the market.
There are a total of 18 colleges and universities in the area. The three largest are the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University and Oklahoma City Community College.
Oklahoma City residents have voted yes to $2.83 billion worth of investment in their city since 1993. Most of this investment surrounded the MAPS initiatives. The total value of investment projects related to MAPS, both public and private, is more than $5 billion.
